| Gasoline prices continue to rise, costing you | | | | |
| money. At the risk of dating this article, | | | | |
| previously unseen U.S. gas prices of over | | | | Using InfoSpace's "Near an address" feature |
| $3.00 are now common in some areas. I know | | | | on their front page, enter in your street |
| those in Europe and elsewhere pay much more, | | | | address and type of business, and find |
| but we can agree over the past year that many | | | | close-by businesses never previously noticed |
| countries have recently seen huge spikes. | | | | while on the road. This beats driving |
| | | | elsewhere and spending more money on gas! |
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| Rising gas prices affect all of us in some | | | | |
| degree. Unless you walk, your cost of | | | | 4. Stay Out of Traffic |
| commuting to work increases. The prices of | | | | |
| goods climb due to increased transportation | | | | |
| costs. How can you decrease the impact on | | | | |
| your pocketbook? | | | | Tired of idling? We all want to arrive at |
| | | | our destinations sooner, avoiding |
| | | | gas-guzzling traffic jams. These websites |
| | | | provide traffic information, provided you |
| Luckily the Internet offers many different | | | | live in supported metro areas: |
| ways to help ease your burden. Note that many | | | | |
| of these sites are geared towards the United | | | | |
| States. | | | | |
| | | | MSN Autos Traffic Reports - |
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| 1. Search for Cheaper Gas Prices Online | | | | |
| | | | Yahoo Maps, Driving Directions, and Traffic |
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| Cheaper gasoline prices may be available but | | | | |
| tough to find. Instead of driving from | | | | |
| station to station checking for cheap prices | | | | Check your local department of |
| or traveling 20 miles out of the way, try the | | | | transportation as it may display traffic |
| following sites: | | | | information online. This can include cameras, |
| | | | incident information, and/or road closures. |
| | | | Perform a Google search similar to the |
| | | | following: |
| - | | | | |
| | | | |
| - | | | | |
| | | | California dot |
| | | | |
| | | | Tennessee dot |
| Carefully read the times reported for the | | | | |
| gasoline prices! The cost of gas can rise or | | | | New York dot |
| fall sharply (though it tends to do more of | | | | |
| the former) in the span of a few hours. | | | | |
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| | | | 5. Shop over the Internet with No Shipping |
| | | | Costs |
| 2. Use Mapping Services to Plan Your Trips | | | | |
| More Wisely | | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | When done properly, shopping online can save |
| | | | you money otherwise spent on gasoline. Many |
| It just makes sense that if you know where | | | | shops now offer free USA shipping |
| you're going and don't get lost, you'll | | | | (restrictions may apply) if you spend a |
| require less gas getting there. Browse these | | | | certain amount of money, increasing your |
| websites to help you plan your journey; some | | | | savings! Some online shopping sites with free |
| even display satellite maps to further assist | | | | shipping offers at the time this article was |
| your travels: | | | | written (listed for informational purposes |
| | | | only) are: |
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| | | | |
| Google Maps - | | | | |
| | | | Amazon - |
| MapQuest - | | | | |
| | | | Barnes and Noble - |
| MSN Maps and Directories - | | | | |
| | | | - |
| Windows Live Local - | | | | |
| | | | Tower Records - |
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| | | | World of Watches - |
| Though very helpful, use the above sites as | | | | |
| a guide as 100% accuracy is never guaranteed. | | | | Zappos (shoes) - |
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| 3. Find Nearby Stores | | | | MSN Shopping has a dedicated "Free Shipping |
| | | | Center" directory with even more businesses - |
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| Don't travel miles and miles out of the way | | | | |
| and spend more money on gas to go somewhere | | | | |
| when an equivalent store is just around the | | | | Though fuel prices rise, let the Internet |
| corner! | | | | help you cope. Compare gas prices online. |
| | | | Arrive at your destinations quicker and |
| | | | cheaper using on-line maps. Find nearby |
| | | | businesses with near-address searching, |
| Google Maps - | | | | conserving gas. Shorten your commute time |
| | | | with online travel information. And, travel |
| | | | less often by taking advantage of online |
| | | | shopping with free shipping. Use these |
| For example, I can query "pizza 30338" to | | | | Internet techniques to stop spending your |
| find several eating establishments in or | | | | money on higher gas prices.Copyright 2006 |
| nearby Dunwoody, GA. | | | | Andrew Malek.Andrew Malek is the owner of the |
| | | | MalekTips computer and technology help site |
| | | | at MalekTips offers over two thousand tips |
| | | | on saving time and money and getting more |
| InfoSpace - | | | | enjoyment out of your computer, digital |
| | | | camera, and the Internet. |